Machine for manufacturing rubber articles.



. No. 680,086. Patnted Aug. 6, I90|.

F. H. TURNER.

MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING RUBBER ARTICLES.

{Application filed July 9, 1900.)

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Patented Aug. 6, l90l.

F. H. TURNER.

MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING RUBBER ARTICLES.

(Application filed July 9, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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4 wmmw wibmaoeo arm No. 680,086. Patented Aug. 6, l90l. F. H. TURNER.

MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING RUBBER'ARTICLES. (Application filed July 9,1900.)

(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 3.

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I IEIIIIII 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. TURNER, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING RUBBER ARTICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,086, dated August6,1901.

Application filed July 9, 1900.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. TURNER, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, (Whose post-office address is No. 738 Park street,Hartford, Connecticut,) have invented a certain new and useful Machinefor Manufacturing Rubber Articles, of which the following, when taken inconnection with the drawings, is a description whereby any one skilledin the art may make and use the same.

My invention relates more especially to a machine for folding a strip ofrubber or like material and uniting its two edges to form said stripinto a tube with but a single seam. The rubber is first prepared and hasits two edges evenly out and parallel to each other. These strips aredelivered to the machine by suitable carrier-belts, their edges beingfirst covered with a suitable adhesive, as cement, and are so foldedthat the two edges are abutted and pressed together to form the tube.

The object of my improvement is to produce a machine which will receivethe strips of rubber prepared as above stated and automatically bringthe edges into close contact, press them together, and form a tighttube, combined with mechanism for automatically cutting the finishedtube into predetermined lengths.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvedmachine. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aview, on a large scale, of the guide and forming rings and resser-rolls.Fig. 4B is a detailed view showing the cutters and appurtenant parts.Fig. 5 is a plan view, on enlarged scale, of the cutters and thetripping mechanism. Fig. 6 is an elevation looking from the bottom ofFig. 5.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown a machine for folding andcompressing strips of rubber to form them into a tube. Of course it isunderstood that the strips of rubber are first prepared of a suitablewidth and have their edges smeared with adhesive. The rubber may beprepared for the'forming-machine in any suitable manner and with anydesired mechanism, though it is preferably Serial No. 22,922. (Nomodel.)

'worked into the required form by a cutting and gumming machine similarto the one which forms the subject-matter of my separate application ofeven date with the application describing this machine. When the twomachines are used together, a single belt serves to drive both and formsa convenient means for transferring the material from one machine to theother. This belt may be driven from any suitable source of power and, asindicated in the drawings, is driven by a pulley 8, which receives itsmovement through the gear 9 from a pinion 10, secured to the main shaft11, which is driven by the fast pulley 12. A loose pulley 13 is alsoarranged on this shaft, the two pulleys having a shifting rod 14, whichforms a convenient means of starting or stopping the belt.

The operating mechanism of the machine receives the proper movementthrough a main drum 3, which has its periphery running well under thesurface of the pulley 8. The belt 7 passes partly around the maindrivingdrum 3 of the machine, then over the driving-pulley 8, over anidler 6, and around a second idler 5 to the machine which is used forpreparing the strips of rubber. In case the forming-machine is usedseparately this belt 7 after passing about the idler 5 may be passedaround a pulley located at a suitable distance from the machine, and inthis case the'belt 7 merely serves to drive the drum 3 and carry thematerial into the machine from any convenient point.

The numeral 1 denotes the base of the machine, supporting the frame 2,which bears the main operating mechanism. The main mechanism may bedivided into three distinct parts-the former denoted at A, the presserdenoted at B, and the cutter at C. The cutting and pressing mechanismsare driven through suitable gears by a sprocket-chain 15, passing abouta sprocket 16, fast to the main-drum shaft 17, and a sprocket 18,mounted on a shaft 19. On this shaft 19 is also secured a gear 20,meshing with the gear 21, fast to the shaft 22, which bears adrum 23.'This drum 23 when rotated by the gears above named serves to drive abelt 24, which rotates the presserrolls 26 through intermeshing gears-2728. Above the drum 23, located parallel with and at either side of itsaxis, are two drums 29 30. These two drdms are arranged with their axesin'the same horizontal plane and just far enough apart to permit therotary cutters of the cutting mechanism 0 to pass between them withoutin any way interfering with the belt 24. From the drum 23 the beltpasses over the drum 29, thence over the presser-roll 25, idlers 31, 32,and 33, to drum 30, and then back to the drum 23. The idler 31 ismountedon the end of a lever 34, which has on one of its arms a weight35, which always holds the idler 31 in close contact with the belt'24and gives it the proper tension. It will be seen from the abovedescription that the belt 24 is essentially a carrier, while it servesthe purpose of driving the presser-rolls; and, while an endless belt, itis broken as relates to its carrying-surface carrier at the point wherethe cutters are located.

The cutter mechanism comprises a pair of cutter-arms 36 37, looselymounted upon a shaft 38. These cutters are held with africtional graspby a gear 39, mounted on a sleeve integral with the cutters. The gear 39is driven by a train of gears 41 42, the latter driven by a beveled gear43, meshing with the beveled gear 44, which is driven by the gear 45,receiving its motion through gears 46 and pinion 47, the latter meshingwith the gear 21. The gear 39 is rotated continuously and ataconsiderable rate of speed, and were it not for the detent-cam 40, faston the sleeve bearing the cutters, the cutters 36 37, through thefrictional grasp of the gear 39,would rotate with the latter. To preventmovement of the cutters except at predetermined times,a pawl 48cooperates with shoulders 49 upon the detentcan1 and prevents themovement of the latter except when the pawl 48 is moved outof'engagement with one of the shoulders 49. For operating the pawl 48 areleasing-rod 50 is connected to its lower end and is adapted to bemoved by a cam 51 on the face of a disk 52, which is driven by a gear53. This gear 53 is driven by a set of change-gears 54 55 56, which arein turn driven from the main driving mechanism of the machine. Thesechange-gears are arranged and made interchangeable with other gears forthe purpose of varying the'time at which the knock-0E cam 51 shallrelease the pawl 48 and permit the cutters to act. It is evident fromthis arrangement of parts that the cutters may be caused to operate atany predetermined time, and thus the length of. the tube which is cutolf from a strip of material may be varied. The pawl 48 is normally heldin engagement with one of the shoulders 49 of the detentcam, of whichthere are two, located at substantially right angles to the line of thecutting-blades 36 37, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The cutters arearranged to give a quick downward sweeping out upon being releasedfeedingit forward to the cutters.

by the knock-off cam 51, cooperating with the pawl 48, and the instantonecutter has been released and performed its function a second isbrought into position to operate. Of course it is obvious that theremust be two jaws to the cutting mechanism, and as the two members 36 and37are revolubly mounted and integral the second cutting-jaw is formedfor convenience upon the frameof'the machine, as indicated at 100, Fig.4. I

At 13, Fig. 1 of the drawings, is shown a pair of presser-rolls whichare adapted to re-,

ceive the tube after it has passed through the former, hereinafterdescribed, and press its two edges firmly together, at the same tiFnfiee presser-roll 26 is mounted in bearings. which are movable in avertical plane to permit the roll being raised slightly to insert thetube which has been formed. In Fig. 3 there is shown a mechanism forraising and lowering the roll 26, which consists of a pair of cams 5758, which are adapted to move simultaneously through the medium of aconnectingrod 59 upon movement of the hand-lever 60.

Just in front of and located slightly below the contacting surfaces ofthe presser-rolls is located a forming mechanism, as indicated at A,Fig. 1. This forming mechanism comprises a former-ring 61, which isadjustable with relation to the rolls 25 26. For convenience this ringcomprises a main section 62, mounted upon a spindle 63, whichis-adjustably secured in a bearing 64, and a hinged section 65, whichmay be moved out of its closed position, as indicated in dotted outlinein Fig. 3 of the drawings. When the ring is open, as shown in dottedoutline, the strip of material which is to be formed maybe easilythreaded 'into position. At the upper end of the ring 61 an adjustablebar 66 is arranged to support the guide-ring 67, which is adjustablymounted upon the bar. This guidering 67 has what might be termed a universal adjustment so that it may be inclined at the proper angle to theformer-ring 61 to properly guide the strip of material to it.

A deflector-roll 68 is arrangedto divert the strip of material which isfed into the ma chine upon the main drum 3 as it passes to "the formingmechanism. As the cutters operate to cut the tube there is a tendency ofthe stock to stick to the lower cutter 1OOTand to obviate any difficultyof this sort a series of deflector-rolls are arranged just in advance ofthe cutters, as indicated at 69, 70, and 71. These rolls are of smalldiameter, located just over the carrier-belt, and are rotated by suitable driving-belts at a speed slightly greater than the speed of thecarrier-belt. The roll 71 is located just clear of thecutters and startsthe stock forward after it has been momentarily retarded by the cutters.This arrangement of deflector-rolls is important in devices of thisclass, especially when they are used for forming sticky material, suchas rubber.

The operation of the device is as follows: Strips of material of aproper width and with their edges suitably gummed are fed into themachine on the upper surface of the feed and driving belt 7, are passedabout the drum 3, through the forming-ring 6l,being first passed underthe guide-ring 6'7. As the material passes through the opening betweenthese two rings its central portion is depressed and its two edges areturned upward and toward each other until they closely abut. Just asthey come into contact they are passed between the presser rolls, whichunite them and roll the two edges well down to form a smooth surface.From the presser-rolls the now-finished tube is fed to the cutters,which are rotated at predetermined times and cut the tube off into therequired lengths. From the cutters the finished tube is carried forwardupon the carrier-belt 24 to any convenient point.

While I have shown and described herein a specific mechanism for formingstrips of material into a tube, I do not desire to limit myself to theexact mechanism shown and described, as variations in the details ofconstruction may be made without departing from the spirit of myinvention, the gist of which is set forth in the following claims.

I claim as my improvement- 1. In a machine for forming tubes or like toreceive the material from said mechanism and including two ringsadjustable with relation to each other, and means whereby the oppositeedges of the strip of material are brought into close contactandmaintained in the same plane.

2. In a machine for forming tubes or like articles, a feeding mechanismincluding a combined feeding and driving belt and means for operatingit, a forming mechanism adapted to receive the material from saidfeeding mechanism while off the belt and in a flat or strip-likecondition, means for curling said material into tubular forms, meanscoincident with said last-named means for abutting the extreme edges ofthe material, means for pressing the edges into close alinement, and

means for cutting the tubular product into endless belt arranged in atortuous path, and a cutting mechanismarranged to operate transverselyof said belt without afiecting the operation of the latter.

5. In a machine for forming tubes, the combination with the feeding,forming and pressing mechanism, of arotary frictionally-driven cutteradapted to automatically cut a material intopredetermined lengths, meansfor holding the cutter from action, means for releasing it atpredetermined times, and means for adjusting the periods of suchrelease.

6. In combination, in a machine for forming tubes from strips ofmaterial including feeding and forming mechanism, a cutting mechanismcomprising swinging arms alternately operated and adapted toautomatically cut the tubes into predetermined lengths, and v means forvarying the period between the strokes of the cutters.

7. In combination, in a device of the class specified, a cuttingmechanism including cut= ters, frictional means for moving said cutters,means for holding said cutters from action and means for releasing thecutters at-predetermined times.

8. In combination in a device of the class specified, a cuttingmechanism including cutter-bars, means forholding the cutter-barsinoperative, means for rotating the cutter-bars upon their release, saidmeans being constantly rotated and acting upon the cutters with africtional grasp, and means for releasing the cutters at predeterminedtimes.

9. In combination, in a machine for forming tubes, a pair ofpresser-rolls, a formerring adjustable with respect to the rolls, and auniversally-adjustable guide-ring cooperating with the former-ring andadapted to place the two edges of a strip of material together.

10. In combination, in a machine for forming tubes, an adjustableformer-ring having loo the strip of material through the former-ring.

11. In combination in a machine for forming tubes, presser-rolls adaptedto press the edges of the tube into close alinement, one of said rollsbeing adjustable toward and from the other and held against it withyielding force, the feed and driving belt passing around the last-namedroll, and a cutting mechanism adapted to operate at predetermined times.

12. A device of the class specified comprising a feeding and carryingbelt and cutters, a system of power-driven deflector-rolls adapted todeflect the stock from the carrying-belt and drive it forward.

13. In combination in a device of the class specified, acarrying-beltadapted to feed the lengths, means adapted to release thestock deflecting and driving action with relation to from thecarrier-belt? and drive it forward, the stock borne npon thecarrier-belt.

said means operatin at a water speed than the carrier. as b FRANK T 514. A device of the class specified, compris- Witnesses:

ing a, feeding and carrying belt and cutting EDWARD M. YEOMANS,

mechanism, and a system of rolls having a, LUITGARD MORBA.

